Saturday, October 06, 2012

Arizona is Earthquake Country

Each year dozens of earthquakes occur in Arizona, most go unfelt,
but rare, moderate to large magnitude earthquakes can occur. This
44-page guide includes maps, pictures and diagrams illustrating where
earthquakes happen, how to prepare your home or business to prevent
damage, and what to do during ground shaking. "Arizona is Earthquake
Country" is the 21st booklet in the Arizona Geological Survey's popular
Down-to-Earth series.

Young, active faults exist in and around
Arizona. The northern Arizona Seismic Belt, which bisects Coconino
County, hosts the greatest concentration of active faults in the state
and is the most seismically active region in Arizona. Some faults, such
as the Lake Mary Fault just south of Flagstaff, are capable of large
magnitude earthquakes, up to magnitude 7. Yavapai, Mohave, Yuma, Pima,
Cochise, Graham and Greenlee County all host faults capable of
delivering moderate to large seismic events, too. And large earthquakes
on faults from surrounding states and Mexico, including California's San
Andreas fault system, are capable of damaging homes and infrastructure
and threatening lives here in Arizona.
"Arizona is Earthquake Country" includes a seven-step earthquake safety guide that shows how to:

prepare your family and home in advance of an earthquake;

behave during an earthquake – whether indoors or out;

deal with damage and related issues immediately following an earthquake.

The booklet provides a primer on the nature and
geology of earthquakes in Arizona, describes six prominent faults, and
revisits three major historic earthquakes that impacted the state.
Instructions on how to use the U.S. Geological Survey's online
earthquake probability tool to establish the risk of a damaging
earthquake in your community are also provided. Sections on monitoring
earthquakes, earthquake resources - including online resources, and a
glossary, round out the text.

This earthquake preparedness guide is released just in time to complement Arizona's first-ever Great Arizona ShakeOut,
a two-minute "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" earthquake drill that can
minimize personal injuries and save lives. Scheduled for 10:18 a.m. on
October 18th, enrollment in the ShakeOut drill is open to all, but K-12
schools are particularly encouraged to participate; for online
enrollment visit the Register Here! page. To date, more than 11,500 have enrolled in ShakeOut.